KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 – A Dutch chemical firm refused to supply crucial resins for Lynas Corp’s controversial RM2.5 billion rare earth plant in Kuantan due to safety concerns, according to the New York Times.

The influential newspaper cited engineers working for the Australian miner at the Gebeng industrial zone site and internal company e-mails as saying that AkzoNobel withdrew after it was told that the fibreglass liners using its resin would be installed in concrete-walled tanks that have a problem with rising dampness in the floors and cracks in the walls.

“AkzoNobel had been in discussions about the problem of rising dampness, but only became aware of the cracks this autumn,” the daily reported.

The resins were to be used to glue together dozens of fibreglass liners for concrete-walled tanks the size of double-decker buses where hundreds of tons of rare earths with low levels of radiation will be mixed with extremely corrosive acids at more than 93 degrees Celcius.

The company had said early last year it would supply chemicals for the Lynas project, which has raised fears of radiation pollution among local residents and environmentalists, only if it were certain that it would be safe.

LAMP waste water discharge point flooded in December 2011 after two days of heavy rain (SMSL)

In a report last June, the NYT had said that there were critical flaws in the design of the refinery, including the installation of the watertight fibreglass liners.

It said that memos showed Lynas pressed a Malaysian contractor, Cradotex, to proceed with the installation of watertight fibreglass liners designed for the containment tanks without fixing the moisture problem and with limited fixes to the walls.

“These issues have the potential to cause the plant’s critical failure in operation,” Peter Wan, the general manager of Cradotex, said in a June 20 memo obtained by the newspaper.

“More critically, the toxic, corrosive and radioactive nature of the materials being leached in these tanks, should they leak, will most definitely create a contamination issue."

I like the comment made by one person: “MALAYSIA TONG SAMPAH AUSTRALIA”

Shame on all the cowardly bureaucrats who succumbed to pressure from greedy and socially irresponsible politicians and approved the project.You are all morally responsible for the damage to the health and welfare of thehundreds of thousands of innocent people that will result from your TOTAL LACK OF SPINE and your GREED and SOCIAL IRRESPONSIBILITY!

The fact that Lynas isn't building a processing plant in Australia is testimony to the dangers involved. The Greens Party is vital to the very survival of the Labor government and the stringent controls here means lower profits.But in Malaysia, Lynas exploited the corrupt politicians and the Labor MP I protested to said the ball is with the Malaysian camp. Labor party will lose the next election, so protest notes should be sent to the Coalition LNP now before it is too late. Once LNP becomes the next government, its back to square one.

They granted TOL to such a dubious project like it is just a vegetable farm. Construction was allowed to start before proper approvals is clearly putting the horse before the cart, and everything else is just formality to put on record... like filling in a checklist with pre-determined 'satisfactory' conclusion. Greedy politicians without conscience have allowed Malaysia to be dumping ground for Australia. You don't need rocket science to see the lack of logic in sending waste over thousands of km by sea to be processed, where the place of origin is much bigger and thus more likely to find suitable place for such a plant.

The sad part is that many Malaysian thought this is a Kuantan problem not realizing the billion year life radioactive waste could go into the rivers and Selangor will buy water from Pahang soon. The waste could also go into the sea and the whole Malaysian population may be eating radioactive polluted fishes. The waste could not be treated thus it could be shipped to Quality Alam for "treatment" and Quality Alam is in Negeri Sembilan. Malaysia is too small a country for such a waste. The waste could be kept in a jungle and may leaked into nearby water source ...... This is a Malaysia problem not a Pahang or Kuantan problem!!!!!!!!